Best CPU & GPU Combos to Buy in 2024

When attempting to gauge gaming performance, the CPU and GPU are undoubtedly the most essential parts to consider, as they act as the driving forces that dictate the overall speed and power of any system. Therefore, if you want to build a powerful PC that can tackle a range of tasks with minimal effort, then the processor and graphics card within your system need to be well-balanced to prevent one component from holding the other back. We’ve tested many CPUs and graphics cards to see which combinations thrive together to offer the best performance.

For those struggling to find the perfect CPU and GPU pairing for your next PC, we’ve got you covered. In this buyers guide, we’ll break down the best CPU and GPU combinations for various budgets and activities and offer a detailed explanation as to why the chosen processors and graphics cards are the best in their class.

Best 1080p CPU & GPU Combos

1. Intel Core i5-12400F & AMD Radeon RX 6600

Those restricted to a tight budget who want to play games at 1080p should consider the Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combo. The Core i5-12400F is a solid entry-level processor, offering six cores and twelve threads, rated at a boost clock speed of 4.4GHz.

This CPU is priced incredibly low, hovering around $110 at the time of writing. More crucially, picking up this CPU over a Ryzen 7000 option means we can leverage a cheap B660 motherboard and DDR4 RAM, saving costs to a degree.

Key Specs	Intel Core i5-12400F
Core Count	6
Thread Count	12
Base Clock Speed	2.5GHz
Boost Clock Speed	4.4GHz
Max Cache	25MB
Default TDP	65W
CPU Socket	LGA 1700
Overclockable	No

Regarding the graphics card, the RX 6600 is a solid card offering 8GB of GDDR6 VRAM on a 128-bit memory bus. However, based on its VRAM capacity, this card is restricted to 1080p, as 8GB isn’t enough nowadays for 1440p gaming.

Specification	AMD Radeon RX 6600
Video Memory	8GB GDDR6
Memory Bus	128-bit
Base Clock Speed	1.62GHz
Boost Clock Speed	2.49GHz
Stream Processors	1792
Ray Accelerators	28
Compute Units	28
Power Draw	132W

In terms of performance, the AMD RX 6600 beats the likes of Intel’s Arc A750 in Esports and modern AAA games. In Apex Legends, at 1080p high, we saw an average framerate of 147FPS, while in Warzone 2, performance hovered around 102FPS. The performance isn’t likely to blow you away, but as an affordable entry-level card, the RX 6600 is the GPU we’d go for.

Suggested Article: Best Mid-Range Ryzen 7000 CPUs to Buy in 2023

2. AMD Ryzen 5 7600 & NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

Moving up the list to what we’d call a high-end 1080p CPU and GPU combo, we’ve selected the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. The Ryzen 5 7600 is a CPU we’ve picked repeatedly in many builds because of its excellent gaming performance. Due to a low power budget, the Ryzen 5 7600 can consistently hit its 5.1GHz boost clock speed when gaming, making it a fantastic option for 1080p, 1440p, and even 4K gaming when paired with the right GPU.

CPU strength is critical for 1080p gaming, so the Ryzen 5 7600 is excellent for a budget system. It also offers longevity with future GPU upgrades. Specs-wise, the Ryzen 5 7600 has six cores and twelve threads and sits on the AM5 socket, which, according to AMD, will be supported through 2027.

Key Specs	AMD Ryzen 5 7600
Core Count	6
Thread Count	12
Base Clock Speed	3.8GHz
Boost Clock Speed	5.1GHz
Max Cache	38MB
Default TDP	65W
CPU Socket	AM5
Overclockable	No

We’ve opted for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 for the graphics card. It is a controversial choice, we know, but out of the two cards around the $300 price point (the RTX 4060 and Radeon RX 7600), the former is the better choice. This is due to the NVIDIA-exclusive features, ray tracing and DLSS. While ray tracing won’t be as important for some, DLSS is a massive win for budget cards.

Specification	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
Video Memory	8GB GDDR6
Memory Bus	128-bit
Base Clock Speed	1.83GHz
Boost Clock Speed	2.46GHz
CUDA Cores	3072
RT Cores	24
Tensor Cores	96
Power Draw	115W

With AI trickery, DLSS significantly improves visual smoothness and in-game framerates, allowing you to hit those refresh rate sweet spots in many titles. You may be able to play some games at 1440p with the RTX 4060, but the limiting factor, much like in the previous combination, is the 8GB of VRAM.

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is also worth considering at this price point, especially as it can often outperform the RTX 4060 in many titles. But keep in mind that you won’t be able to access those NVIDIA-exclusive features.

Best 1440p CPU & GPU Combos

3. AMD Ryzen 5 7600X & AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT

Stepping up the resolution to 1440p, we’ve picked out the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X in this first combo. As we’ve alluded to, the Ryzen 5 7600 is an exceptional CPU for gaming when paired up with the right GPU. The Ryzen 5 7600X is effectively the overclockable sibling of the Ryzen 5 7600, which means the strong performance continues with this SKU.

The main difference is that the Ryzen 5 7600X has a 5.3GHz boost clock speed instead of 5.1GHz, and the power draw jumps to 105W from 65W. Because this CPU is overclockable, enthusiasts can leverage slightly more performance by increasing clock speeds, making the slight price bump easier to swallow.

Key Specs	AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
Core Count	6
Thread Count	12
Base Clock Speed	4.7GHz
Boost Clock Speed	5.3GHz
Max Cache	38MB
Default TDP	105W
CPU Socket	AM5
Overclockable	Yes

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT stood out as the best GPU to pair with the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X. With 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM on a 192-bit memory bus, the RX 7700 XT is better equipped than most 8GB cards to handle gaming at this increased resolution.

Specification	AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT
Video Memory	12GB GDDR6
Memory Bus	192-bit
Base Clock Speed	1.43GHz
Boost Clock Speed	2.54GHz
Stream Processors	3456
Ray Accelerators	54
Compute Units	54
Power Draw	245W

This card offers an exceptional cost per frame as one of the cheaper mid-range graphics cards on the market. At around $399, the RX 7700 XT is relatively competitive, beating out the NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti in pricing and performance. Thanks to its increased VRAM, the RX 7700 XT reached 175FPS in Apex Legends at 1440p and 74FPS in Starfield.

It’s worth noting that the RX 7800 XT is available for $50-$100 more for those looking for a little more firepower. This card comes with 16GB of VRAM and allows gamers to reach higher framerates at 1440p without significantly breaking the bank.

4. AMD Ryzen 7 7700X & AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE

in our high-end 1440p CPU and GPU combo are the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE. The Ryzen 7 7700X comes with a couple more cores than the Ryzen 5 7600X, which means multi-core tasks and applications become much more viable. Regarding gaming performance, the Ryzen 7 7700X performs similarly to the Ryzen 5 7600X, but its 5.4GHz clock speed allows it to leverage more frames in certain titles.

Pricing isn’t quite as competitive as the Ryzen 5 7600X, but this CPU is a solid pickup for those who can’t jump to the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Additionally, this processor is also overclockable, so there is more performance to be gained for builders willing to push this CPU a little bit further.

Key Specs	AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
Core Count	8
Thread Count	16
Base Clock Speed	4.5GHz
Boost Clock Speed	5.4GHz
Max Cache	40MB
Default TDP	105W
CPU Socket	AM5
Overclockable	Yes

The graphics card in this high-end 1440p combo is the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE. A late entrant to the Radeon 7000 range, the RX 7900 GRE is a 1440p titan, perfect for gaming. Available for around $50 more than the RX 7800 XT, the RX 7900 GRE is a solid pickup for a 1440p gaming system.

Specification	AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE
Video Memory	16GB GDDR6
Memory Bus	256-bit
Base Clock Speed	1.28GHz
Boost Clock Speed	2.24GHz
Stream Processors	5120
Ray Accelerators	80
Compute Units	80
Power Draw	260W

It easily beats out the RTX 4070 SUPER in our benchmarks and knocks on the door of the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER more often than you’d think. There are some caveats, however, most notably DLSS and ray tracing performance. This card cannot handle ray tracing, and AMD’s FSR (FidelityX Super Resolution) falls a bit flat when compared to DLSS, which, in our experience, increases smoothness and framerates by a significant margin.

Best 4K CPU & GPU Combos

5. Intel Core i7-14700K & NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER

Moving up the resolution ladder once more, at 4K, for our entry-level CPU and GPU combo, we’ve opted for the Intel Core i7-14700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER. Intel’s Core i7-14700K is a solid piece of hardware, reaching great clock speeds and offering even more cores and threads than the previous Intel 13th-Gen range.

With 20 cores and 28 threads, the Core i7-14700K can offer the performance needed for more burdensome threaded workloads. This CPU also has a boost clock of 5.6GHz, so it can easily handle a mass of complex instructions without breaking a sweat. It’s worth noting, however, that this CPU will require a solid cooler to pair with it, as the Core i7-14700K can run quite hot in multithreaded workloads.

Key Specs	Intel Core i7-14700K
Core Count	20
Thread Count	28
Base Clock Speed	3.4GHz
Boost Clock Speed	5.6GHz
Max Cache	61MB
Default TDP	253W
CPU Socket	LGA 1700
Overclockable	Yes

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is at the forefront of graphical performance. With the launch of the SUPER range of graphics cards, the RTX 4070 Ti received some much-needed upgrades, putting it in a more competitive position than the original RTX 4070 Ti. With 16GB of GDDR6X VRAM and an increased set of CUDA and RT cores, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is more than ready to take on 4K.

Specification	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER
Video Memory	16GB GDDR6X
Memory Bus	256-bit
Base Clock Speed	2.34GHz
Boost Clock Speed	2.61GHz
CUDA Cores	8448
RT Cores	66
Tensor Cores	264
Power Draw	285W

One of the significant benefits of picking up an RTX 4000 card worth highlighting is the NVIDIA-exclusive technologies. The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER can leverage DLSS 3.5 and has better legs in ray traced games, making it a solid option for a top-end PC build. When RTX ray tracing launched around five years ago, the impact on performance was too much, but with DLSS 3.5, gamers can enjoy smooth framerates and excellent visual fidelity.

6. AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D & NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

At the top end for 4K gaming are the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. This combo is an incredible pair for one reason—gaming performance. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the world’s fastest gaming CPU, thanks to the 3D V-Cache technology that AMD employs with its 3D SKUs. With eight cores, sixteen threads, and a boost clock speed of 5GHz, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is meant for top-end 4K gaming.

Additionally, one of the major benefits of the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is its price point. Although most prospective buyers probably won’t be looking to save money when building a top-end PC, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D offers an exceptional value proposition. Available for less than $500 at the time of writing, the CPU is a solid pickup.

Key Specs	AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Core Count	8
Thread Count	16
Base Clock Speed	4.2GHz
Boost Clock Speed	5GHz
Max Cache	104MB
Default TDP	120W
CPU Socket	AM5
Overclockable	No

We’ve opted for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER on the graphics card front. Much like with the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, the arrival of the SUPER range brought some pretty hefty changes to the current stack of graphics cards. While the hardware hasn’t changed much when comparing the RTX 4080 SUPER to the original RTX 4080, its price point is considerably better, with an MSRP of $999.

Specification	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER
Video Memory	16GB GDDR6X
Memory Bus	256-bit
Base Clock Speed	2.29GHz
Boost Clock Speed	2.55GHz
CUDA Cores	10240
RT Cores	80
Tensor Cores	320
Power Draw	320W

This further widens the gap between the RTX 4080 SUPER and RTX 4090, making this one of the definitive choices for a top-end 4K gaming PC build. In terms of performance, as you can expect, this card can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it. 4K gaming is a breeze for the RTX 4080 SUPER, and gamers can enjoy high framerates with DLSS and ray tracing enabled.

7. Intel Core i9-14900KS & NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

The final CPU and GPU combo is ideal for enthusiasts. It features an Intel Core i9-14900KS and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, which is overkill for most builders. The Core i9-14900KS is Intel’s most potent CPU, featuring 24 cores and 32 threads with a boost clock speed of 6.2GHz. This processor is targeted at those with multifaceted setups, ideal for video editing during the day and 4K gaming in the evening.

There aren’t any other CPUs that can beat out the Core i9-14900KS regarding multi-core performance. However, it is worth noting that because of the power that this processor draws, it requires a hefty CPU cooler to keep temperatures down. We’d recommend a 360mm liquid cooler at minimum.

Key Specs	Intel Core i9-14900KS
Core Count	24
Thread Count	32
Base Clock Speed	3.4GHz
Boost Clock Speed	6.2GHz
Max Cache	68MB
Default TDP	253W
CPU Socket	LGA 1700
Overclockable	Yes

There isn’t anything better than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 for the graphics card. It blew us away in 2022 during its launch, and it continues to do so, with nothing beating out the performance of this card. If you’re looking for a GPU that can do everything in gaming and workstation performance, the RTX 4090 is the card to pick.

Specification	NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
Video Memory	24GB GDDR6X
Memory Bus	384-bit
Base Clock Speed	2.23GHz
Boost Clock Speed	2.52GHz
CUDA Cores	16384
RT Cores	128
Tensor Cores	512
Power Draw	450W

The only major caveat of this card is its price. Launching around the $1600 mark, due to its popularity and subsequent stocking issues, the RTX 4090 has only surged in price and can be picked up for around $2000, which is no small price tag.

How We Tested the Best CPU & GPU Combos

Here at GeekaWhat, we get to test a range of GPU and CPU combinations via our PC builds and benchmarking sessions for reviews and buyers guides. After using a system with a specific CPU and GPU pairing, we get a comprehensive analysis of these parts perform, both separately and together. We then compare the combination with other pairings we’ve tested by assessing several vital factors, including thermals, power draw, pricing, gaming and workstation performance, and more.

Apex Legends

Settings: 1080p/1440p/4K, Anti-aliasing TSAA, Texture Filtering 8X, Model Detail High, VSync Disabled, Effects High, Ambient Occlusion Quality High

Using Apex Legends as a benchmark to see how these graphics cards perform, we can see from the graph that even with a GPU like the RX 6600, framerates are solid. We saw 147FPS from the RX 6600 at 1080p high, the RTX 4060 offering 166FPS, and the RX 7600 sitting at 189FPS. We’ve included the RX 7700 XT in this graph to demonstrate its rasterisation power, but as a card primarily aimed at 1440p, the data here shows that it blows the rest of the GPUs out of the water with 209FPS on average.

At 1440p, framerates at the low end are slightly weaker than our 1080p data. The RTX 4060 and RX 7600 are pretty closely aligned, with an average of 137FPS and 145FPS, respectively. Jumping up to the RX 7700 XT, framerates reached 175FPS, allowing gamers to enjoy high refresh rates.

When we get closer to the high-end 1440p/entry-level 4K graphics cards, performance starts to get ridiculous. The RX 7900 GRE hovered around 240FPS, which, realistically, you’re not going to notice. From there, performance only improves, with the NVIDIA graphics cards leading the charge.

Apex Legends @ 4K

At 4K, many cards targeted at 1440p have dropped out of the running, with only the RX 7800 XT and RX 7900 GRE remaining. The RX 7900 GRE handled 4K with ease, offering 163FPS on average.

The results from the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, RTX 4080 SUPER, and RTX 4090 only improve. Again, as the framerates get higher, you won’t be able to notice the difference, but those looking to play Apex Legends at 4K high should consider a GPU like the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER to ensure smooth gameplay.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Many Cores Do I Need for Gaming?

Most games will only use 2-4 cores, so the number of cores is not as important as the boost clock speed.

How Much VRAM Do I Need?

8GB is solid for 1080p, but is slowly becoming obsolete. We’d recommend 12GB and higher for 1440p and 4K gaming.

Should I Choose Intel or AMD?

Intel generally performs better in multi-core applications, while AMD CPUs are better for gaming. There are pros and cons to both manufacturers.

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